Gentle Not the Heart
by jypzrose
Summary: After submitting to their desires, Cain and DG find themselves torn apart. Now, five years later, they're brought together again. CDG, AJ&GA. Full Summary inside
1. Prologue

**Gentle Not The Heart**

**Pairing-**C/DG

**Rating-M/NC-17 for sex, language, violence. You know, the good stuff.**

**Spoilers-**all three parts.

**Summary**-A year after the eclipse, DG and Cain surrendered to their feelings. Everything was bliss until DG was called upon to help secure an heir for a neighboring country. Cain, unable to bear the loss of his princess, leaves to make the way clear for the marriage to happen. Five years later, he returns at the request of the House of Gale. DG, her husband and her son have been kidnapped, and it's up to the regions best tracker to find her. Pain, loss, danger and lies pave the road of the Tinman and his Princess. Will this be their final goodbye or can the damage be undone?

**A/N**-So, this thought was brought on by a bunch of different sources. The first was Rascal Flatt's "What Hurts the Most", particularly the chorus "_What hurts the most/was being so close/and having so much to say/watching you walk away/And never knowing/What could have been/Not seeing that loving you/Was what I was trying to do._ I did that from memory, so it's probably off a bit. _The Princess Bride_ also plays a teeny part, as well as a couple of good old romance novels. Angst galore ahead. And it will probably take a while for our lovely couple to actually make it into the same room, so be patient. So you know, I'm of the mind that DG was closer to 25 whilst traipsing around the OZ. Keep that in mind. I do not apologize for this, and hope you, the reader, can move past it if you're of the mind that she was 20. And Cain is just over 40. Blame that on another fan fic writer that put his age at 38 at the time of the eclipse. I liked it. I used it. So there. I think that's enough explanation, onto the story.

* * *

**Prologue**

"_I wish we could always stay like this." DG's hair tickled his chest as they lay in her bed. She was sprawled out next to him, her hand tucked under her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. He smiled at her, twisting a strand of her hair around his fingers._

_"We have to get out of bed eventually. People'll wonder where we are."_

_"Who cares?" She replied with a sigh._

_"You're mother might."_

_"She might not if we told her. I don't know hwy you won't let me tell her." She pouted at this, making her look much younger than she was. Cain brushed his thumb over her protruding lip._

_"We will. When the time is right."_

_The time was never right as far as he was concerned. He knew he was being a coward. But he didn't want to put their relationship at risk. And as long as it was secret, it wasn't at risk. _

_He had no illusions. He was a Tinman, an old one at that. She was a princess, no matter where she was raised. It was a touchy situation at best. Not an impossible one. Just touchy._

_"You make me crazy, Wyatt." DG rolled her eyes and pushed up into a sitting position. He couldn't help but admire the view. They were both naked, having fallen together as soon as her door closed for the night. It had been that way since he'd finally given in, as she put it, a month prior. He hadn't given in; he'd just been biding his time. And the time had been right._

_She was sleek and soft, her pale skin silky under his calloused fingers. Her cornflower blue eyes were dark with annoyance and just a hint of arousal. He'd had no idea what kind of body her clothes had been hiding. The pants and jacket she'd been wearing when they first met had hid the gentle curve of her hips, the jacket the round firmness of her breasts. The clothes she wore for meetings with delegates from other countries didn't do much for her figure either. _

_Nowhere other than here in bed with him, did her beauty truly shine. She wasn't a kid, she wasn't a princess. She was a woman. His woman. _

_"I thought that's what you liked about me." His grin had turned wicked, and she looked at him warily. _

_"Oh no you don't. I'm irritated at you." She evaded his reaching hand, scooting out of the way as he sat up. She wasn't quick enough and she let out a squeal of laughter when he caught her. _

_"Come on, sweetheart." He crooned, rubbing his lips against the smooth expanse of her neck. Her naked bottom rubbed enticingly against his erection and her breath whooshed out in a defeated sigh._

_"We have to tell them soon," she said, melting into him as his teeth nibbled her ear._

_"We will." He promised, reaching up to turn her head so she would look at him. "We will." He said again, leaning in to press his lips against hers._

With a start, Wyatt came awake. Sweat beaded his brow and his cock ached in his pants, both unpleasant side affects from the dream. After five years, the memories of that day, their last day together, could still damn near kill him.

It had been five years, five long years since he'd seen her. Four since he'd finally managed not to think about her all the time. The whiskey he'd taken to drowning himself in before he fell into bed probably helped with that. It had been two years since he'd forced himself sober. The dreams still came, drunk or not, so what had been the point? At least sober he could manage the pain a little better.

The need for a drink raged in him now, calling him to purge the memories forcing themselves to the surface. Even the knowledge that it wouldn't help didn't take the want away.

Cain pushed himself up and out of bed, turning to rest his elbows on his knees. He looked around the room he'd called home for the last few months. A single bed with a mattress so thin he could feel every spring. A trunk for his meager belongings, a table and a chair. All of it done in a dismal, dreary, banged up brown. He wasn't even sure it was real wood. It was small, impersonal. Depressing. Just the way he'd lived his life since that day he'd walked away from Finaqua and left his heart behind.

Cain scrubbed a hand over his face and realized dimly that he'd have to shave. His hair could probably stand a trim as well. What it mattered, he didn't know? It wasn't like they were going to care how he looked.

He pushed up from the bed and walked with quiet, deliberate steps toward the table. In the middle was a curling piece of parchment, the seal of the House of Gale emblazoned across the top. He blamed the words scratched across it, in Glitch's…_Ambrose, _he reminded himself. Ambrose's handwriting for the dreams.

**Cain,**

**DG's missing.**

**Come Home.**

**Ambrose**

With a growl, Wyatt crumpled the page in his fist, biting back the bile those words caused. When the messenger had first tracked him down, he stared at the envelope for the longest time, both afraid and excited to find out what was inside. He'd read it, over and over, his worst fear realized.

He'd go. There had been no other option. He'd find her, take her home and make sure she was safe once more.

That was the guarantee.

It was what would happen after that he was afraid of.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-**Because I forgot in the first chapter. I don't own it. Like you couldn't have guessed that.

**Chapter One**

The click of Ambrose's-Glitch to his friends-heels against the cool marble of the entry hall of the palace echoed like gunshots. At this hour of the morning there were few people around. A handful of maids, the guards at the entrances and some of the staff children that were up heading for the kitchens before lessons. Ambrose wouldn't have been here himself if for not a very precisely worded letter from the Queen.

He knew what this was about. And he was prepared to handle her wrath.

Ambrose made his way down the open hall, ignoring the smattering of people around. Despite his relationship with the Queen, he'd dressed in his best. A black jacket with red piping and silver buttons indicated quite clearly that he was no longer a resident of the palace or advisor to the Queen herself. He'd changed those colors when he went with DG. The jacket, matching black pants with red piping down the length and highly polished shoes let people around him know he was a man of some importance.

He'd even put on his medals. That was more to remind the Queen herself who he was and what he had done in her service.

He paused outside of the door of the Queen's office, smoothing a hand over his jacket and mentally brushing away the butterflies that were waiting in his stomach. Perfect.

He raised his hand and gave a sharp knock, waiting a beat for the quiet 'Come in,' before pushing the door open. His long legs carried him across the cavernous space, his steps now muffled on the ornate rug under his feet. The room was vast, the decorations a reflection of the woman seated behind the desk. Soft fabrics, gentle colors and gleaming wood. Large bookcases dominated the wall behind her, the shelves overflowing with texts, maps and books on Ozian law. Her desk was large, but still suited her with its feminine lines and curves.

Two chairs sat directly in front of the desk. One was already occupied with the Princess Azkadelia. A smile touched his lips as he saw her, his eyes drinking in the soft form of his wife. Pride and joy swelled in him at the sight of her delicate hand resting gently on the curve of her rounded belly. The baby had been up kicking most of the night. Which accounted for Az being in her mother's office so early in the morning.

Azkadelia returned his smile, her support of him and the decision he was about to pay for shining in her large, dark eyes.

"Ambrose." The Queen's smooth, regal voice diverted his attention away from his wife. "I don't think I need to tell you I'm not pleased."

Ambrose looked at the woman he had once felt more than he was supposed to. His loyalty to her had been complete, his desire to please her absolute. Even after he'd lost half his brain.

Then DG had been blown back into the OZ and that had changed.

"I apologize, your highness. I never wanted to displease you." This was said in a quiet voice, the words practiced, the tone almost bored. He saw her eyes narrow slightly, but he didn't react. He heard Az's snort, which she covered with a cough. "I did what I thought was best for DG."

"What's best for DG? Calling in the man that nearly destroyed her? How is that 'best' for DG?"

"He'll find her. He'll kill whoever took her." These words were said with steel surety that sent a shiver down the Queen's spine.

"And what will happen when she sees him again? How could you want to hurt her so?" Ambrose's eyes snapped to the Queen's when she said this. This was why he'd lost his favor for the Queen. It wasn't so much that he was angry with her. Just severely frustrated.

"My apologies your highness. But I don't believe Wyatt Cain was the one that set up a marriage between the woman he loved and the son of a neighboring king."

"She chose her path." The Queen said, almost as if she were trying to convince herself. Az sighed and shook her head.

"She did? It seems to me it was laid out for her." Ambrose countered smoothly.

"He broke her heart!" The queen lost some of her signature cool, her color going high and her lavender eyes blazing for a brief moment.

"I know. I was there. I also know Wyatt Cain. He left because he thought he had no choice. It wouldn't have occurred to him to try to stop the marriage you arranged. He was loyal to his Queen, loyal to the OZ. And as much as he loved DG, he would have done what he thought was best for the whole situation. No matter how stupid it was." At least, that was the reasoning Ambrose had sussed out in his head. Even with both sides of his brain back in his skull, he'd had a hard time coming up with a justification for what Cain had done.

Ambrose looked at the Queen; saw the worry tightening her mouth, the helplessness she felt at having her daughter missing. He sighed, his shoulders relaxing and his stance becoming less rigid.

"Listen, I know you think he's the witch incarnate, but he's the best man for the job. He's an excellent tracker, he's swift and deadly and he'll make sure she and Andriss are brought home safe. Oh, and that husband of hers too."

"Ambrose," The Queen warned. Ambrose just shrugged.

"Glitch, don't." Az couldn't quite hide the amusement in her voice. Despite her own worry and tension, she didn't like her brother in law much more than her husband did. She reached up and took his hand, squeezing his fingers. He rubbed a thumb in return over her knuckles, lingering over the delicate, filigree wedding ring he'd placed on her finger just a short two years ago.

"Does Jeb know he's returning?"

"I told him. He was the best one for finding him." Jeb had been the only one to have any idea where his father was. And that was sporadic at best.

The Queen sighed and settled back into her seat. Her husband had wanted to be here, to lay into Ambrose himself, but she hadn't allowed it. That was why she'd held off this meeting until the morning, instead of having it as soon as her daughter and former advisor had arrived the night before. As much as the idea of Wyatt Cain returning bristled her, she could admit that he was the best. She just had to make sure he was dispatched quickly back to whatever hell he'd disappeared into for the last five annuals.

She looked at the man that had once been her dearest friend and most faithful advisor. It was true, that having half of one's brain removed and then returned would change a man. But something had broken between them during those days of DG's return. Something she'd never quite understood or knew how to fix.

She saw the way he held her oldest daughter's hand. Az had called him Glitch. He was always Glitch, to DG, Az, Jeb and Raw. To others-to her-he was Ambrose. The epitome of efficiency, decorum and geniality. Everyone outside of their little group saw a man that was competent and sure. His friends had known him when he wasn't either of those things, and they loved him for it.

Even Jeb Cain, who had more than enough reason in the world to hate him…simply didn't.

"I hope you know what you're doing." She finally said, her want for the return of her daughter outweighing her reservations of who would do the returning. "When should we expect Mr. Cain?"

"I expect him by late morning. He'll want everything we know, where she was taken and when." Ambrose didn't let his surprise show that she'd given in so quickly show. He just went with it.

"He will be careful with Andriss." This wasn't a question. Ambrose was almost appalled that she even suggested he would be otherwise. Then again, he wasn't exactly sure what had happened to his friend these past five annuals. Who knew what Cain was like now?

"Mother. I think that's a little extreme." Az spoke to her mother for the first time since Ambrose walked into the room. "Andriss will be perfectly safe with Cain. It's Henry you should worry about."

Ambrose smirked at this, but he didn't comment.

"Very well. I'll trust the both of your judgments on this. I can't say the same for your father. It would probably be best to make sure Cain is nowhere near Ahamo. Ever." Az rolled her eyes and Ambrose quirked a brow. It seemed easy for her parents to forget that they'd set the events in motion that caused the heartbreak that so devastated DG.

"Of course." Ambrose gave a slight bow to the Queen, and then helped his wife up from her chair. "We'll see you at breakfast."

The Queen inclined her head in dismissal. As they made their way out, she couldn't dismiss the worry that settled heavily on her shoulders.

* * *

DG felt the cold wall behind her back and the hard floor underneath her butt. Neither were comfortable feelings.

She didn't know how long it had been since she and her son had been thrust into this cold, windowless room. She knew it was days. Could possibly have been weeks. She just knew that it was getting tiresome. Especially since whoever took them didn't seem to want anything from her. So why didn't they just let her go? Why take Andriss in the first place?

With a sigh, DG shifted, careful not to jostle her precious bundle too much. They'd just finished the 'breakfast' that had been brought in by their ever-mute guard. He seemed to be there simply for his brawn, since his vocal skills seemed to be seriously lacking.

Their meal had consisted of stale bread, thin porridge and juice for Andriss, coffee for DG. The little boy had eaten as his mother instructed, the faces he'd made while ingesting their feast making her smile. At least they were feeding them. They could have left them here to starve.

After, he'd curled up in her lap and drifted to sleep. There was nothing better to do. You could only play patty cake so many times with a four year old. She could feel her magic, hovering under the surface of her skin begging to be unleashed. But she hadn't seen her husband since just after their arrival. And until she knew he was safe, she wouldn't even try to use it.

Without her sister, DG was only able to do limited things. A nifty light show amused Andriss, but it did little for helping them out of their situation. She could manipulate the locks if she knew what kind they were, but she didn't know _where_ they were, and that could be a problem.

"Mommy?"

Immediately, DG's arms tightened around her son and she leaned down brush a kiss across his temple.

"Yes, baby?"

"I want to go home."

"I know. We will soon. Uncle Glitch will find a way." Of that she was sure. She wasn't generally the sit and wait type, but in this instance, it actually seemed like a good idea. Especially since she and Andriss didn't seem to be the focus of this little abduction.

This seemed to settle the boy. He sat up, content to lean against her for the moment. She brushed a hand over his dark curls and ignored the numbness settling into her bones. She'd been sitting like this too long, and the sleek column of red silk she was wearing did very little to protect her from the stone under her.

She tensed when she heard the grind of the lock. She gently pushed Andriss off her lap and rose to a standing position, making sure he was behind her. She felt ridiculous in her evening gown and her bare feet. She'd discarded her heels after the first hour of captivity. They'd abducted the trio on the way home from dinner in the city. A rare treat to get off castle grounds and spend some even more rare time together.

"Dorothy?" She had learned long ago not to cringe when she heard her true name fall from her husband's lips. He wouldn't call her DG. He said it didn't sound dignified. And personally, she didn't care enough to worry about it.

"Henry." Relief coated her voice as she took a step forward. She still kept Andriss behind her though. Just in case.

"Dorothy. You're all right." Henry stepped inside, the light behind him showing his bloodied lip and black eye. The eyes he shared with the son he barely acknowledged narrowed as he took in her form.

"I am. But you don't look so hot. What the hell is going on?" Brawny was behind him, keeping a close eye on the royal couple.

"I don't know. They've kept me in a separate cell, just coming in to beat me randomly. Have they harmed you or the boy?"

DG bristled at that, but she pushed it away. "No. Unless you count malnutrition. Andriss is fine." In fact, he'd been a real trooper.

"Good. I'm sure there will be a ransom demand. Father will pay it and then we'll be released." He sounded so confident, DG didn't want to snort in response. Henry could be a bit…optimistic when it wasn't necessarily warranted.

She put more stock in Glitch flying in on the back of a mobat with an army of munchkins to rescue them than Henry's father doing anything for him. Andriss, definitely. DG, maybe. Henry? Not a chance.

"Come on."

"Wait! Why can't we stay together?" DG asked, taking a step forward.

Brawny merely grabbed Henry by the arm and dragged him backward.

"Be strong DG. Don't use your magic!"

Why the _fuck_ would he say that? Suddenly, Brawny was looking at her with all kinds of interest.

"You know I'm not very strong without Azkadelia." She hissed, glaring at Henry's stupidity. Any chance she might have had of even attempting anything magical was pretty much shot to hell. They'd be watching her like a hawk.

"I just want you to be safe." Henry said as the bang of the cell door echoed. She felt Andriss jump behind her. She stared at the door for several long seconds, her insides twisted with anger and fear.

"It'll be ok, mommy. Uncle Glitch will find us."

A soft smile curved her lip and DG dropped down to the floor once more.

"I know, honey." She pulled him close, savoring the feel of him in her arms. And as much trust she had in Glitch, she couldn't help hoping that it was another man looking for them.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Cain sat on the seat of the motorbike he'd ridden across the Blue Hills from the City in the West. He was outside the gates of Central City, gathering his courage to go inside. It had been so long since he'd been here. Even after DG had married and moved to her husband's kingdom, he hadn't had the courage to come back. Not even for the birth of his granddaughter. He didn't think he had the right.

Jeb would be waiting inside, he knew. And Glitch. _Ambrose,_ he reminded himself again. He wondered if Raw was here, or if he'd stayed with his people.

_Only one way to find out._

With a sigh, Cain kick started the bike and pulled it up to the gates. The guard waved him through after a quick glance and he pulled easily into the traffic of Central City. It didn't take him long to make it to the palace gates, and after another cursory look, he was on the palace grounds looking up at the place he'd once considered home.

The vast lawn was clean and well kept, with bright, explosions of flowers dotting the landscape. Birds sang from well-manicured bushes and trees. He could see the gardeners, ever vigilante against weeds and pests. He could only wish that DG's guards had been as alert.

Wide stone steps led up to the palace itself. What looked like miles of glass and stone made up the seven turrets and wings of the building. He knew a courtyard just as beautiful as the front lawn was situated in the center of the palace. He also knew that some of the lower apartments offered a private garden for the occupants to enjoy.

DG's had had a private pool. With very tall hedges.

_Shit._ With a sigh, Cain parked the bike at the base of the steps, ignoring the little pageboy that ran up to him. He strode quickly up the stairs and swept through the door that opened just as he reached the top. They'd known he was coming and the quickness with which he was admitted didn't surprise him.

"Cain!" But the man striding down the stairs dressed in black and red with no sign of the zipper on his head did surprise him.

"Ambrose?" He sounded shocked to his own ears. The last time he'd seen the man, his surgery hadn't been performed yet. In fact, there had been some doubt whether it would be able to be done at all. He'd heard it had been done, and had called him Ambrose remembering that the half brain had corrected him in the tower annuals before.

"Glitch." Ambrose reached out a hand and took it, his happiness at seeing the Tinman overshadowing his anger at Cain. "You look really mean."

And he did. In the time he'd been gone a hardness had settled on him that hadn't been there even after his imprisonment in the tin suit. He seemed cut from granite, his eyes hard and guarded. The clothes had changed as well. He was still wearing a duster and fedora, but the color was now black. His pants were a dark gray; his boots a scuffed up black and his shirt was dark as well. It was almost like he was trying to blend in with the night. Unfortunately it was the middle of the day.

"You don't." Cain countered, taking the proffered hand. He felt almost normal in that second, despite the changes in both of them. Too soon the feeling was gone. He pulled his emotions back, reminding himself that he had no right feeling any relief at being back in the palace. DG was missing, that was his priority right now. "I was surprised that the Queen had you send for me."

The look the stole over Glitch's face reminded him a lot of the man the advisor used to be.

"She didn't send for me." It wasn't a question.

"Well, no. Not exactly. I didn't think you'd come if you saw the seal of the House of Oridian." DG's husbands name. He wasn't sure if he would have or not. Anger narrowed his eyes and he took a step away from the man he'd once called friend. He didn't like to be tricked.

"Does she know I'm here now?"

"Yes." The wall was up between them firmly now, and both were sure it would take a lot to break it back down. They didn't know who the other was anymore. It was never more apparent than that second. Glitch arched a brow and waved him forward with a hand. "Everyone's waiting."

They didn't speak again as they made their way down the hall. They passed some of the staff, a few of the faces he recognized. He heard the buzz start and figured that by the end of the day the whole City would know he'd returned. He wanted to sigh at that. He'd grown accustomed to his anonymity.

Wyatt braced himself when they came to the doors he knew led to the Queen's office. Glitch opened the door and gestured him in. He felt a pain in his chest when he saw his son, standing next to one of the windows talking to Azkadelia in soft tones. The little girl in Jeb's arms stole his breath and the pain suddenly became excruciating.

Azkadelia saw him first. Her mouth snapped shut, a delicate brow arched and her chin rose ever so slightly. He noted the hand that rested on her belly, as if protecting the unborn child from the tension in the room.

"The baby's mine, Cain. Me and Az were married two years ago." Glitch told him, his dark eyes challenging Wyatt to say anything.

_Whoa._

"Congratulations." Was all Cain said and he turned away. His gaze clashed with his son's and he suddenly felt like he had the day he'd realized Jeb was alive. Cain wasn't sure which one moved first, but in no time they were in front of each other, their identical eyes searching the other for the differences. The last time Cain had seen Jeb, he was anxiously awaiting the birth of the little girl in his arms. Jeb had told him in one of his occasional letters that he and Az had decided to absolve their marriage. No details, no word of their infant daughter. Just a quick note to let him know it was over between them.

Cain hadn't been surprised.

"Father."

No matter how closed off his emotions were now, Cain couldn't help but be happy at the sight of his son.

"Jeb." So much was said between them without any real words being spoken. Their relationship had been complicated at best after the eclipse. Time hadn't done much to change that.

"This is Dory. You're granddaughter."

For the first time since he'd walked in, Wyatt looked down at the tiny girl clinging to her father. She looked back at him, her dark eyes wide and searching. She looked so much like her mother, from the fine porcelain skin to the silky dark hair. She also looked every inch the little princess in her ruffled blue dress, white tights and shiny black slippers.

"Hello Dory." He said quietly, offering the child a smile that felt foreign on his face. Dory picked her head up and leveled those eyes on him. He tried very hard not to squirm.

"You'll bring Aunt DG home." She declared softly, smiling. He'd have given anything to have her confidence in him. With that tiny smile, he was officially wrapped around her finger. Fading back into oblivion after all this was over was going to be even harder now.

"I'm sure gonna try."

"You will." She said again, her insistence making him think she might have a little bit of her mother's magic in her.

"Dory, my sweet. It's time to go to Tutor for lessons. Daddy will come get you later, all right?" Azkadelia held out her arms and gingerly plucked the girl from Jeb. The hold was awkward but firm and none of the men would have dared to offer to help her.

"All right, mommy. Will I get to see grandpa again?"

That simple word, 'grandpa', pierced Cain so thoroughly, he was surprised his blood wasn't spilling onto the floor.

"Yes." He answered before Az could. He didn't miss the look of approval on the Princess's face and he had to look away.

"Mr. Cain. Shall we proceed?" The Queen's voice reached the little group, and Cain looked over at her. She was standing, rigid and tense behind her desk. He was only slightly surprised he didn't see Ahamo. They'd never gotten on in the best of circumstances. And this was definitely not the best of circumstances.

"I'll be back." Az whispered to Glitch, then carried her daughter carefully from the room. He watched both Jeb and Glitch watch the two leave. One with a look of happy contentment, the other with lost longing.

"Mr. Cain? Ambrose, Jeb?" By the sound of her voice, the Queen's patience was strained. After a quick look between the three, they walked over to the Queen. Cain inclined his head, but did not bow.

"You're highness." Bitter resentment rushed up to leave a bad taste in his mouth. She'd arranged the marriage between DG and the prince. She'd taken his princess away. And nothing he'd told himself, including that she'd done what was best for the OZ, could make that bitterness go away.

"Mr. Cain, I don' t feel the need to tiptoe around the situation. I don't like you being here. I don't like even the idea of you being around my daughter. You're leaving caused damage you cannot even begin to fathom. But as Ambrose assures me that you're the only way we can retrieve DG, I will tolerate your presence."

Wyatt's gaze never faltered even as white-hot anger replaced the bitterness. He bit it back. No matter what she was still the Queen.

"I need to know everything. Where she was, what they were doing. Has there been a ransom demand? What is the King doing to find his son?" He shot the questions out between his teeth, not letting his eyes waver from hers. She might not like him anymore, but she would respect his abilities.

"As far as we know, nothing. It's more Andriss he's interested in finding."

The Queen had settled herself back into her chair and picked up an ornate frame. After studying it for a few seconds, she held it out for Cain to take.

Cain had known that DG had a child. Jeb had been careful not to talk about her when they did correspond. He didn't need to. No matter how deep a hole you might try to bury yourself in, news still had a way of finding you. But he hadn't truly accepted the concept until he looked down at the picture in his hands.

It was just of DG and the boy, where her husband was Cain didn't know. His eye hungrily took in every detail, refreshing his rusty memory on just how beautiful she was. Looking down at the picture, he felt like a man dying of thirst that had just been offered a wet cloth to suck on.

She was sitting in throne, her hair done in a mass of curls that spilled gloriously around her shoulders like a dark waterfall. A delicate tiara of glittering jewels contrasted against the darkness of her hair. Her skin was still clear and milky, her eyes still brilliant and blue. Her dress was a vibrant green, cut to perfection for her tiny frame. It was a far cry from the denims and men's shirts he was used to seeing her in.

The boy, Andriss, stood next to his mother. All of four years old, if he was a day he had his mother's hair and smile. But the eyes, the eyes weren't anything like his mothers. Large and amber colored; there was a mischievousness in them that made Cain want to smile. Thoughts of what could have been wanted to force themselves into his head but he pushed them away. There had been a time when he'd imagined what his and DG's children may have looked like. That time was long gone.

"Why just Andriss?" He pretended he didn't hear the thickness in his own voice, or feel the way his throat wanted to close. He handed the frame back to her, knowing that the picture was now forever burned into his memory.

"Andriss is the true heir to the throne. Henry will not ascend. As to which, that makes my grandson very important to the King." He heard the distaste in the Queen's voice and noted it for future reference. "The rest, I believe Ambrose and Jeb are best suited to explain. Jeb is head of DG's security detail and Ambrose is her advisor."

Both of these revelations stunned Cain, but he kept control of his expression.

"Six days ago, DG, Henry and Andriss left the palace to have dinner in Gem City. They took one car, one driver and one guard. I was out, visiting Dory." He said this as if explaining to his father why the royal family had been allowed to leave the palace with such a small detail. "From what I understand, Henry ordered off the men I had assigned to escort them out. They were supposed to go to dinner, then a show, and then come home. I got the word at midnight that they hadn't arrived back. We found the car and the driver at the side of the road leading back to the palace. The driver was unconscious. The guard was dead a few yards away."

"Why would Henry think that only a single guard would be enough?"

"Because he's an ass." Glitch interjected. When the Queen huffed he realized that he'd said that out loud.

"Ambrose, please try to keep your personal opinion out of this." She reprimanded, brows drawn sharply over her lavender eyes.

"Beggin' your pardon, your highness, personal opinions are helpful. I need to know why he would think he could go out with his wife and child without the most protection possible. Is it common knowledge that Andriss is the heir?"

"Yes. The King wanted the announcement made almost as soon as DG found out she was pregnant. She managed to hold him off until Raw could at least confirm the sex. Could that be why they were taken?" Ambrose sounded horrified at the prospect and to tell the truth, it made Cain a little sick himself.

"Anything is possible. Who has anything to gain if Andriss doesn't ascend?" Cain was watching the people around him, the way they looked as they spoke, how they moved. He stopped thinking of them as people he knew, even people he'd had a hand in creating. Sometimes more could be said with a twitch of a hand than a word.

"Henry. The chance of another heir is slim. DG was only required to deliver one."

That sounded about as romantic as having separate honeymoons, but Cain kept silent. He also didn't ask why Henry wasn't the first in line for the throne as the King's son. He had a feeling that story would take longer than they had right then. He could tell by the look on Glitch's face that he had less than a low opinion of DG's husband. That alone would have had Cain disliking the man if it weren't for the fact Henry was the one that stole his future with DG.

"Anyone else?"

"There's a cousin in the higher lands that was in line before Andriss was born. But he isn't in favor with the parliament, who would make the decision should the king be unable. Should anything happen to Andriss and the king, Henry would take the throne." Jeb said, pulling a paper from a satchel at his side and laying it on the Queen's desk. "This is a map of the realm. Here is where we found the car. Not very far from the palace at all."

"Would DG try to use her magic to get out? To try to send a message?"

"Probably not. She's not as strong as Az, and she forgot so much that she still struggles with it." Glitch said with a shake of his head.

"That's not entirely true. If she felt Andriss were in danger she'd blast them all to hell if she could." Az said, making her return. The men shifted, allowing her access to the chairs in front of the desk while still making her part of the discussion. Az smoothed a hand over her skirts and settled before speaking again. "Our magic doesn't work in a way that we can teleport or send messages. Even the witch needed those disks to keep track of people. But she might be able to manipulate her surroundings in a way that she could escape. She'd only risk it if she could get Andriss out safe, however."

"As well as Henry." The queen shot in, almost as if she were reminding every one in the room that the man was in danger as well.

"Yes, mother. Henry as well." Az stopped short of rolling her eyes.

"I'll need to see the area, the car if it's available. Is the driver conscious now?"

"Yes. But I don't know what you'll get out of him. He claims not to remember anything." Jeb told him, the look on his face letting Cain know he'd tried.

"I'll talk to him." Wyatt said firmly, the hint of a nasty smile curving his lip. He'd learned a few things over the years that would have impressed the Witch herself.

"When do you want to leave?" Jeb asked, packing up his map and fully facing his father.

"Now. The longer we wait the more danger DG and her son are in." Even though she remained silent, everyone in the room could practically hear the Queen think 'and Henry.'

"I can have a car ready within the half hour." Wyatt nodded and Jeb turned to leave the room, looking at Az as he passed her.

"I'll let her know." Az assured him quietly. Jeb's lips pressed together and he reached as if to squeeze her shoulder. Then he looked up at Glitch and seemed to think better of it. He turned away and walked briskly from the room.

"Your highness, Glitch. Princess." Cain said in way of farewell.

"May I have a word with you, Mr. Cain?" Azkadelia looked up at him from her seat, her face showing no hint of what she wanted. Wyatt's eyes narrowed a bit but he nodded.

"Az, do you think that's wise?" The Queen's opinion of Cain couldn't have been any clearer than that moment. He had to admit that it stung a bit. Once upon a time, this woman had entrusted the safety of not just one, but both of her daughters.

"Mother," That one exasperated word had the Queen's lips pursing but she didn't argue further. "Glitch, my dear, will you please take mother to the garden's? She looks a little peaked."

Despite herself, her mother's lips twitched with a smile. "Good luck, Mr. Cain. Those you seek are very precious to me and I would be greatly put out if any of them were harmed." She leveled those wondrous eyes on him and Cain got her meaning loud and clear.

"I'll bring them home safe." He assured, ignoring the undertones of her words. After several long seconds, the Queen inclined her head and rounded the desk to take Glitch's offered elbow.

"Be safe, Cain." Glitch said before leading her away. Cain leaned a hip against the desk and faced the princess. Az waited until the sounds of her husband's and mother's footsteps faded and the door clicked closed behind them.

"So, Wyatt. Are you going to run away again after you bring DG and my nephew home?"

* * *

A/N-Well, no one can say that Azkadelia beats around the bush. And for those that are confused, YES, Az was married to Jeb. More on that in the next chappy. Yes, she had a baby with him. Again, more on that in the next chappy. Now she is married to Glitch and pregnant by him. I hope I made that clear but just in case I didn't, there ya go. Someone asked what DG's son's name meant, Andriss-a form of Andres, or Andris. It means Man, Warrior. I actually added the extra 's' just because I liked the look of it. :p Anyway, you know what to do. (And yes, I do know I said I was going to finish TM&RP first. But this chapter demanded to be written.)


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Az, we don't really have time for this." Cain told her, making to push away from the desk. That razor like brow shot up again and she raised a hand to stay him.

"What better time than with you right in front of me? You have a tendency to be rather slippery."

His lips twitched with a smile that wanted to form. After the eclipse, it hadn't taken him long to realize that he _liked_ Azkadelia. Instead of becoming a weak, shriveled flower overcome with grief and guilt, she'd proven just how strong she really was. It wasn't only DG down on the battlegrounds, wiping blood and sweat and helping the wounded or holding the hands of the dying. She paid as much retribution to those she could and bore the hatred and resentment of others. As the tale of her possession became common knowledge, the people started to sparingly believe in their princess again.

She didn't shy away from conflict. If anything she ran headlong into it. And sometimes, like DG, that got her into some sticky situations. She was sarcastic and cynical and one of the most trustworthy and loyal people it had ever been Cain's privilege to meet.

"Does it matter if I stay?"

"To Dory, it does. To Jeb and Glitch and Raw. To me. Hell, even to DG if you want to tread on shaky ground."

"I don't." He told her, his jaw clenched.

"Oh, don't go getting that 'Cain' tone with me, Wyatt. I lived with it long enough, I'm immune." Az scowled at him and shifted in her seat. He didn't miss the pain that passed over her face and he had a feeling it had nothing to do with being pregnant.

"What happened, Az?" He heard himself ask softly. She visibly flinched at his question.

"We _really_ don't have time for this." Az threw his own words back at him with relish.

"You started it."

"Yes and somehow you haven't answered me yet." She pointed out, that damn brow popping up again and her dark eyes boring into him.

Cain wanted to growl. He hadn't been expecting this. He hadn't even figured out what the hell was going to happen, how the hell could he tell her? All he knew, after seeing Dory, was that he couldn't just go away again. He didn't think he could survive it.

"I can't promise anything, Az. I won't disappear again. I want," he took a deep breath, feeling the lock on his emotions shift just a bit. "I _need_ to get to know Dory. And apparently Jeb could stand to have me around too. But I won't cause DG pain. Or myself."

Az seemed to consider this for a few seconds. Then, she nodded as if she'd accepted his words.

"He's a lot like you, you know."

"You don't say that like it's a compliment."

Az smiled. It was a sad smile, full of disappointment and the remnants of heartache.

"It is and it isn't. I completely understood when DG told me she was in love with you. After all, I was in love with a Cain man myself. But, by the time she admitted it, Jeb and I were already having problems. I was terrified for her. Then I saw the way you looked at her, and I didn't worry any more. You loved her, love her," she corrected, the look on her face daring him to contradict her. When he didn't, she continued. "I'm not saying that Jeb didn't love me. He did. And I loved him. Sometimes love just isn't enough."

"I'm sorry, Az. I shouldn't have asked." He saw the tears glittering like diamonds in her eyes and she got a kind of far away glaze on her face like she was seeing back into the past. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but it seemed the Cain men had a knack of hurting the Gale women.

"Don't…" she held up a hand and hastily wiped her eyes with the other. "I'm pregnant. Tears are normal. I cried this morning because my egg was over done." Az took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "The problem was, we got married too quick. He saw me as someone to save, and I saw him as someone to save me. And no matter how much I loved him or he loved me, that wasn't going to work. I started noticing things when I was pregnant with Dory. The way he'd look at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention, like he was seeing the sorceress that ordered his mother killed and you put into a tin suit."

"Az,"

"Don't. It's ok. It's my face attached to those acts and to hundreds more like it. It makes sense that some part of him will always hate me."

Cain had a feeling that some part of Az would always hate herself as well. Everything she said was exactly the reasons he'd thought their getting married was a bad idea. Less than six months after the eclipse. He'd known it was a mistake then.

"You're not going to say 'I told you so'?"

"I might if I had told you so." She laughed at that, wiping away the sadness that had plagued her.

"That's why I've always like you, Wyatt. Even after you broke my sister's heart."

"What was I supposed to do, Az?" Wyatt ground out sounding entirely too desperate to his own ears. For the first time emotion broke through the mask Cain had been hiding behind. He could feel the burn behind his eyes, the ache in his chest. Everything he'd felt that day he'd left Central City threatened to come crashing down on him like a ton of rock.

"Stay, fight. Steal her away? Anything other than leave." Az sounded like those things were obvious, her eyes flashing with annoyance that he didn't think of them himself.

"You don't think I wanted too? Your mother…"

"My mother would have dealt with it. But just like Jeb, you're too damn honorable for your own good sometimes." She let out an unladylike huff and glared at him. "Do you know I had to be the one to ask to him leave? Even after it was obvious to everyone we were over. But you…you ran away with the first hint of conflict."

Her words hit him like punches, hard to his gut. Cain stood, anger and regret making his back rigid. "I have to go."

"Wyatt, please. Don't be mad." It was a testament to her insecurity that she was afraid that he was mad at _her._ He'd started past her, but when her fingers reached out and snatched his he stopped. He didn't look at her until she gently tugged his hand. When he did, he felt the hold on his anger slip just a little bit. She was stunning in her pain, her vulnerability clear on her face. She thought she'd angered him enough to lose his friendship, something that would have hurt her worse than anything. Az didn't have a lot of people she could call friend.

"Az. I'm not mad." _Liar._ "Don't ever be afraid to speak your mind around me. Even after all this time, your opinion is the one I don't mind having. But you just put a lot on me, and I have to sort it out." How he managed to sound so gentle and consoling when she'd just essentially told him he was a coward was beyond him. Maybe it was because a tiny part of him thought she was right.

"Ok." She let him go then, embarrassment at her own moment of weakness making her cheeks turn pink. "Find them, bring them home." He nodded and walked away, pausing a few steps from the door.

"Does he make you happy?" Cain looked over his shoulder to see Az's bright, genuine smile. That alone was a pretty good answer.

"Yes." She breathed, the word erasing the last of the bad emotion from her eyes.

"Good." He touched the brim of his hat then finally finished walking the last few steps to the door. He had a princess to find.

* * *

Something was wrong.

DG paced the cell, her bare feet slapping gently against the stone floor. Andriss was asleep on the floor, the thin blanket they'd had to share wrapped around his tiny form. He looked so small there in the dim light of the lone lantern they'd been allowed.

It had been several hours since the last time someone had come in to take them to the bathroom. Much longer than was usual. And if she was judging the passing of time right, and the grumble in her stomach, they'd missed a meal as well. She'd tried banging on the door to get someone's attention, but to no avail. She'd had to let Andriss relieve himself in the opposite corner of the room, something that disturbed the little boy a lot.

He was starting to get scared.

DG began to plan. She doubted highly that there was any ransom demand and even if there were, the King would only pay for Andriss. She was incidental. A means to an end. Henry…well, he was Henry. She didn't think the people that had taken them would settle for a one shot.

There had been no explanation, at least to her, for their abduction. But even so, they'd taken rudimentary care of her and Andriss. Now, though, it seemed they weren't even going to do that. Since they'd let her see Henry, they seemed to have been forgotten about.

She'd have to risk trying to get her and Andriss out. She would not let anything happen to him. She'd get them out, and then try to get some help for Henry. It was her only option.

Anyway, she really needed a shower. Flinching at her own lame attempt at humor, DG started to pace.

_Think, DG, think._ She couldn't overpower anyone, and someone actually had to come in for her to try. She had to try to focus her magic. To blast her way out and get the fuck out of Dodge.

_God, Cain. I sure could use your help right now._

Where had _that_ come from?

She attested it to the stress of the situation that had his image springing up in her mind, his memory as clear as if she'd just seen him yesterday. God she didn't need this now. Wishing for him didn't work five years ago; it wasn't going to work now.

But she just couldn't seem to help it.

_Get a grip, DG. He hasn't come riding in to save you in a hell of a long time. He's not going to now._

Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. She was tired, hungry, scared and wanting something that was impossible. Angrily, she wiped at her eyes and looked over at her son. Wyatt Cain wasn't her world anymore. Andriss was.

"Fuck this." Feeling suddenly ambitious, DG stalked over to the door and put her hands on it. She shook her head to clear it and closed her eyes. Then growled in frustration. She couldn't concentrate. She was too damned upset.

DG stood back and looked at the door, taking deep breaths to settle her raging insides. She could practically hear Tutor in her head chanting 'feel the light flow through you' blah, blah. God she hated that. Like how useful was that anyway? She certainly hoped his spiel had changed with Dory.

_Focus you twit._ Great, now she was calling herself names.

DG forced herself to stand still, clear her mind and breathe slow. The last time she'd been in such a dark, nasty place had been the witch's tower. Then at least, she'd had bars and a stupid rat. And Tutor. Now she had solid wood and just her own wits to get out.

They were doomed.

_Ok, ok, ok._

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby." Immediately she turned, thoughts of escape put on hold for the moment. Andriss didn't look well to her. He was pale in the dim light, his amber colored eyes not as bright as she was used to.

"I'm hungry." DG's lips pressed together and she nodded.

"I know honey. I'm trying to get us out of here."

"Uncle Glitch isn't coming." Andriss sounded so sure it nearly broke her heart.

"I'm sure he is sweetie. But we need some food and water. We can get out," _I hope_, "and then we'll find Uncle Glitch."

"Can I help?"

"Oh baby." DG had kneeled down to his level and stroked his soft cheek. "I need you to sit real quiet and let mommy see if she can get the door open. Then if I can do that, you need to stay close to me and do exactly what I say, when I say it? Can you do that?"

"Yes mommy."

"I mean it, Andriss. _Exactly_ what I say. Even if you don't like it."

"I promise, mommy." Andriss looked unsure, but he nodded, his small shoulders trembling under her hands.

"Ok then." DG pressed a kiss to his cheek and resisted snatching him into a tight hug. If he knew how scared she was, he would get even more so himself. And she didn't want to do that to him. "Let's see what we can do." She gave him a smile, then stood and turned to face her nemesis, the door. With a flourish of any great hero, she laced her fingers and cracked her knuckles. She stalked towards the offending door with a renewed sense of purpose and placed her hands on it, closing her eyes.

"Let's play ball, bitch." She muttered under her breath so Andriss wouldn't hear. She pulled on her magic, reaching out with it toward the door and into the crevices of it. In her minds eye she pushed past the metal plating on the door to the grain of the wood beneath. She followed it, her breathing becoming slow and steady as she focused on her goal. Her inner eye found the lock, studied it. Within seconds her mind started to pick it, to twist the tumblers and set them in place until, with a definitive click, the lock opened.

DG's eyes snapped open and a smile curled her lip. _Take that._ Gingerly, DG tried the handle. To her ears the handle scratched and scraped like an ocean liner hitting an iceberg, but it really couldn't have been that loud. She opened the door a crack and looked out. There was nobody there.

Not believing their luck, DG risked opening the door further. Her heart soared when she peered down the long, dark hall both ways. There was no one. _What the hell?_

More nervous than when she started this venture, DG motioned for Andriss to stay quiet and come to her. He scampered over, quiet as a mouse and huddled close to her leg. She ushered him out and down the hall, all the while her eyes darting around to make sure they weren't followed.

She really hoped she hadn't just made a huge mistake.

* * *

A/N-Ok, so, I'm not ignoring Delicate Situation. I'm STUCK. Sigh. And since there's only one chapter and possibly an epi lift of Tinman and the Runaway Princess, I decided to let the muse have her way and write this chapter. Hopefully I'll have the last of TM&RP done by this weekend. I hope. Anyway, you know what to do.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_This place is a fucking maze._ It seemed to DG that she and Andriss had been wandering around the dim corridors of their prison forever. And every corner she turned had her heart skittering and her stomach clenching until she realized there was nobody there. There was nobody _anywhere._

Either they were that far away from anything resembling civilization that their captors didn't feel the need to keep a bunch of guards around. Or, maybe there weren't _enough_ of them to keep a bunch of guards around. She couldn't remember exactly, but she didn't think there had been more than a handful of men that night.

Of course, this place was large and she had yet to see a window, maybe they didn't need to leave people hanging around. There was no way out!

"Mommy," Andriss called in a loud whisper. To DG his tiny voice sounded like a shout right then and she jumped.

"I need you to be quiet, Andriss." She whispered back, pausing to peer around the next corner.

"Mommy, I can hear air." DG stared down at her son, forgetting about looking for danger.

"What?"

"I can hear air." He pointed down a dark hallway to their right intersecting off of the one they were currently in and the one crossing it. This place was like a maze.

"Honey, I don't know what you mean. How can you _hear_ air?"

"This way, mommy. It's there, I promise." He tugged on her hand, his wide, amber eyes pleading with her to believe him. For the first time since he'd been born, DG wondered if maybe he'd been blessed with a little of her magic. Still, right now that was a big gamble.

"Andriss, we don't have time to play."

"Yes, mommy. It's this way." He insisted, pulling harder on her hand. "They're coming."

Ice skated down DG's spine at his words and she looked down at him. She didn't ask him this time if he was sure, or how he knew. He wouldn't be able to tell her and she knew that. With a nod, she followed him to the hallway, her eyes darting back and forth, watching for danger.

The hallway had only seemed dark at first. It seemed, after they stepped into it, that this was finally an outside wall. There were windows. Lot's of them. Unfortunately, most of them were up taller than DG. They must have been in some kind of fort or something.

"Andriss, this isn't going to help."

He didn't answer her this time; he just kept tugging her along to the other end of the hall. The closer they got to the end DG realized she heard the air too. And smelled the unmistakable scent of sea. Shock widened her eyes as Andriss led them too a fissure in the wall.

"Oh my god." She knelt down and look through, wondering at their luck. It was a large, deep cut through the stone that led to the outside. She crawled in partially to look at the drop on the other side. It wasn't too far. Maybe ten feet. They could make it. She looked around at the surroundings. Trees, trees and even more trees. Plenty of cover. Fantastic. "Andriss, I'm going to send you through first."

Now, for the first time, Andriss looked scared. He shook his head and took a step back.

"Andriss, honey. It'll be ok. Once you're through, you just run to the trees and hide. I'll be right behind you."

"No you won't." This was said so softly DG almost didn't hear it. Fear stabbed her with his words but she steeled herself against it.

"Baby, remember what you promised me? That you'd listen and do what I said no matter what? I need you to keep that promise." He looked like he was going to argue again. A loud noise at the end of the hall stopped it.

"There they are!" _He does have a voice,_ DG thought stupidly when she saw their brawny guard stalking towards them. He was followed by two other men, both with mean looks on their faces and guns in their hands.

"You have to go, now." Quickly, she pushed Andriss through, not allowing him to speak again. She felt his little hands try to clutch at her, to hold on but she somehow evaded him. "Run, Andriss. Don't look back." She told him, hanging out as far as she could to drop him.

She watched her son fall to the earth, scamper up and dart to the edge of the woods beyond. Relief flooded through her that he was safe, at least for the moment. Then she felt hands on her grasping, pulling her away from the crack in the wall. She felt a sharp pain in her arm and the edges of her eyesight started to dim. As she fell back into the grip of her large, silent guard her heart screamed out for the one person she needed the most.

_WYATT!_

* * *

"This is where the car was forced off the road." Jeb pointed to a spot off the dirt road. Wyatt had kneeled down to study the skid marks, judging the speed the car might have been doing. There was a separate set of tires, probably from a van or truck next to the limo's tires. The car itself was still there. He stood up, glancing around the area and wondering how far the kidnappers went to hide their pray.

_WYATT!_

Wyatt's head jerked up to the direction he thought the voice had come from. His eyes narrowed and his heart sped up in his chest as he recognized DG's voice.

"Did you hear that?" He took a step forward, his fingers twitching over his gun as he surveyed the area. Everything looked the same.

"Hear what?" Wyatt glanced back at his son to see the younger man staring at him strangely.

Cain looked back at the forest hiding the town from the view of the castle behind them. He didn't know how, but he just knew that was the direction he needed to go in. Impatience blossomed in his chest, eagerness to get going making him feel edgy. He didn't know how she did it, or why for that matter, but somehow she'd called him.

After Cain had left Az, Jeb had been waiting for him. It seemed, by the way his son was practically vibrating with energy, he was more than a little eager to get out of the palace. He didn't ask any questions, he was ready to leave as well.

The ride was silent. Niehter man was sure how to talk to the other. It felt like the days after the eclipse, where they took their time trying to figure the other out. They'd been separated for a shorter time than the last, but this separation had been voluntary on Cain's part. They'd written letters, kept up the minimal of communication, but there hadn't really been anything to say. Both of their lives had been pretty much turned upside down again. Each had to find his own way.

Anyhow, Cain had decided, the time for questions was later. Right now, there were three lives at stake.

"If the kidnappers took them in that direction, what would they find?" Wyatt looked at the ground as he started to move in the direction he'd heard DG's voice. Jeb stared at him dubiously for a moment, then stepped into line with him.

"The city is directly down this road." Jeb pointed to the left of where they were standing. There was another road branching off that one that led into the darker, denser part of the forest surrounding the area. "Down this way is a small village. Beyond that is the gulf."

"Gulf? A harbor?" Jeb shook his head to his father's question and shrugged a shoulder.

"It's not used anymore. The entry into the gulf is too narrow. The King could have had it enlarged, but it was more cost effective to conduct trade over land." Something seemed to dawn on the younger man by the way his face went slack.

"What?" Wyatt felt that thrill of excitement quicken again and it took all he had not to shake the thought out of his son.

"There's a fort out there. Old, half of it's falling down. But, it's possible…"

"I'm going to need a horse, supplies. About how far out is it?" Wyatt spurred into motion, moving towards the truck with long strides.

"Half a days ride. Would they really stay so close?" Jeb trailed behind him, his voice heavily laced with surprise.

"Yeah. It's secluded; the part that's still standing is probably strong. It's a good hiding place." Wyatt grabbed his bag from the truck. He checked his extra ammo and pulled out a knife. The sun glinted off the edge and the metal sang when he pulled it from its sheath.

"You're not going to ask why we didn't search it?" Wyatt met his son's eyes over the blade, not noticing the shiver that ran over Jeb's form at the cold silver gaze that met his.

"Common mistake. Anyone could have made it."

"You wouldn't."

Wyatt strapped the knife to his calf, hiding it under the leg of his pants, and then padded his jacket with the extra ammo. The day was mild, and he already had a light sheen of sweat beading his brow, but he wouldn't shed the coat. It served as much as protection as it did storage.

"I'm not anyone." Wyatt's voice was deadly as he stepped around Jeb, leaving the younger man to wonder who his father had turned into.

* * *

A/n- I'm so sorry this took so long and I am sorry it's so short. I've been in a slump. I hope it's gone, since I got some inspiration for this story. But it didn't seem to come out onto the page quite as I saw it in my head. Sigh. Please excuse typos. I hope to work on _A Delicate Situation_ next. Enjoy. Review. Thanks.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

It took a long, slow, painful time for DG to come fully awake. Her brain was a haze of pain, making it hard for her to think of anything but that. Her stomach felt like it was about to reverse polarity and make whatever she had eaten come back up. God, she hated to throw up.

She took several slow, deep breaths, ignoring the horrible migraine bursting behind her eyes. Or at least she was trying to ignore it. A moan exploded from her lips and she felt tears heat up her eyes, the pressure of the want to cry making her head hurt even worse. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Dorothy?"

_Henry._ Suddenly, everything came flooding back with a pain even worse than her head. Andriss. She could remember pushing Andriss, praying for him to make it to the trees. She even remembered calling for Wyatt, although she wasn't sure if that was more a wish than anything.

"Henry?" Her voice was a croak, a blister of agony along her throat. She tried to clear it away, but even that hurt.

"Why did you use your magic, Dorothy? I told you not to."

Henry's reprimand caused inexplicable anger to bubble up in DG and she pried her eyes open, her mouth already starting to form the words that jumped into her head. But once her lids exposed her poor eyes to the light in the room, the world tilted and she had to quickly turn over to avoid emptying her stomach all over herself. Fortunately, or not, she hadn't really eaten that day, so all she did was dry heave. Which was bad enough.

"Are you all right?" Henry asked when she was finished. She heard the distaste in his voice.

"Fuck you." She was too tired, too worried, too sick to give a shit if she offended his sensibilities.

"Dorothy, that was uncalled for."

"So was bitching at me for using my magic. I had to do _something._" With a Herculean effort, DG pushed herself up to a sitting position. She realized she was sitting on a thin mattress in a room that was not the one she and Andriss had been held in. This one was almost...cozy. It at least had windows.

"But your magic?" Henry had always been a little leery of her abilities. DG always assumed it was because of Az and the whole eclipse thing. If one magical princess could go all nutty, why not two? And why not DG? It had made her feel even more alone when they'd first gotten married. Thankfully, they didn't share chambers.

"Look, Henry. They hadn't fed us or brought us water in hours. Andriss was looking awful. I couldn't risk them just forgetting us, or worse, not forgetting us and just starving us. He's just a little boy."

And her life.

Henry's eyes widened at that, and DG thought she might have seen worry enter her husbands dark eyes. Something besides that selfish fear that his precious hide was in danger.

"They weren't providing rations?"

"No. Which makes me wonder if this is for ransom. Who have you pissed off lately?"

"You're crudeness is unbecoming, Dorothy." He reprimanded with little heat. He looked suddenly tired, as if the reality of their situation finally hit him. Or…

"Henry, please tell me you're not behind this." Her words were low, deadly. She felt something ugly and hard bubble up inside of her, all of it directed at the handsome, yet incredibly unharmed and clean man in front of her.

"What…how…how could you think of something like that of me?" He paled, his amber colored eyes twitching like he didn't want to keep DG's gaze.

"Oh my god, Henry. What the _hell_ were you thinking?" DG's rage was pure, her agony that her husband would betray them this way brilliant. Henry jerked, fear evident on his face as he looked back at her. Without thought, she pushed up to her feet, her hands splaying out as the first crackle of her power sparked. Then, just as quick as it came, it fizzled out, a massive wave of nausea replacing the magic and making her crumble to the floor.

"DG, it's not what you think. It's not. I promise you. No harm was to come to you or the boy. I swear. I didn't want either of you hurt."

"Get away from me." Dry heaves had her sobbing on the floor as she thought of her baby, crawling around in the woods, scared and alone because his _father_ betrayed him. "Why? I've always known you hate him, but _why?_"

"I don't hate him." Henry denied. She tried to look up at him, but the heaves weren't fading. If anything, the angrier she got, the more her magic threatened to lash out at him, the sicker she got. "Father…father had to know that I wasn't worthless. He had to know, to believe that I could be a good ruler. A good son. And he would believe that if I saved us. If I brought us home."

Now DG felt really sick, and she didn't think it had anything to do with whatever was making her magic turn on her. "You're nuts."

"No." Henry's eyes had misted over and he had the nerve to look hurt at what she said. "It was supposed to be foolproof. They weren't supposed to…hurt you or…the boy."

"His name is _Andriss_ you son of a bitch. You tried to kill him at least say his name!" Tears rained a river down her cheeks and her stomach cramped again. She could barely speak; barely think for the pain tearing through her.

"Stop trying to use your magic, DG. They've injected you with a concentration from the yahoq fruit. If you keep trying it'll kill you."

Oh god, oh god. She was going to die. And her baby was going to be all alone with this bastard.

"Calm down." Henry commanded, through her daze, DG thought she heard fear.

"Go to hell." She clawed at the floor, her breath coming in shorter gasps as her stomach revolted. She couldn't calm down, couldn't think. Her magic was trying to release on its own; to exact a horrible revenge on the man she'd sworn her life too. She could feel the black threatening to take her over again. _Run, Andriss, runrunrunrunrunrun…_

* * *

Wyatt looked through the binoculars at the fort situated directly on the shore. He could hear Jeb moving next to him, knew that there were men milling around the woods, waiting for word on what to do. Until he or Jeb signaled, they would stay at the ready. He looked around the perimeter, not seeing anybody guarding the outside.

"Why would they make such a play to abduct DG, Andriss and her husband, then not guard the place they're holding them?" He said out loud, mostly to himself.

"Maybe they aren't in there." Jeb countered. Wyatt looked over at the younger Cain.

"They are." He didn't know how he knew, he just did. He could almost feel her, poking at him, telling him to hurry. It was crazy he knew, but he'd been living on the verge of crazy for a long time.

"Sir, there's movement on the ocean side." A voice close to them, a young soldier whose name Cain couldn't remember, drew their attention to that side of the fort. A tiny figure darted from the building, scampering across the sand as fast as he could go. Wyatt looked through the binoculars again, but Jeb put a name to the person.

"Andriss."

Quickly, Wyatt started to move, cutting through the brush in the direction the child was running. He could feel Jeb following him, but he waved him off. "Make sure no one is following him. If they are, shoot them." Then he was gone.

It didn't take long to get around to where the boy should have been. It did take too long to find him. Each second ticked off by Wyatt's heartbeat tramping in his chest. The ground was sandy and littered with undergrowth so thick, it was difficult to move. Wyatt barreled through, his thoughts on Andriss and nothing else. He wouldn't let himself wonder where DG was or why she'd let the boy escape alone.

His eyes scanned the growth, looking for a spot small enough to fit a young boy. Vines, fallen trees, low hanging branches criss-crossed the path, making it difficult to find any evidence of movement. Then, almost by chance, he turned his head in time to see a flash of movement towards a large, rotted log. Quietly, he traveled across the brush and crouched down next to the log.

"Andriss?" He asked, keeping his voice low and hopefully friendly sounding. All he got in response was the sound of something scurrying further into the tree. "Andriss, my name is Wyatt Cain. I'm Jeb's daddy. I was a friend of your mama's a long time ago."

"Uncle Jeb?" Came the tiny response and Wyatt felt a small smile tilt his lips.

"Yeah. Uncle Jeb."

"You knew my mommy?"

"Yes. I helped her once." Loved her forever.

Wyatt heard a soft rasping sound and hazarded poking his head into the tree. There was Andriss, his face dirty with tears streaking paths to his chin. He was tiny, or looked it all coiled up in a ball, his huge eyes staring up at Wyatt like he was some kind of savior. Or monster, he wasn't sure.

"She thinks of you." Andriss whispered, the look on his face suddenly shifting to trust. Before he could question this random statement, he found himself catching the tiny body that flung itself at him. "She misses you. Mommy needs help."

Andriss couldn't know the terror that sliced through Wyatt with that statement.

"Where is your mommy? Is she still inside?"

Andriss nodded, his tears wet against Wyatt's neck.

"Was she hurt?" He forced himself to ask, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"N-no. She's sick now. I can feel it."

"It's ok. We'll get her out. I promise." Wyatt felt his throat burn with the promise, but he meant it. He would get her out of there and then he would happily and painfully teach those that took her that you don't mess with Cain's woman.

Carefully, he cradled the boy against his chest, a swell of protectiveness making him move slowly across the brush. Andriss didn't show any fear at all, clinging to Wyatt as if he were a lifeline. Even when he returned to Jeb, their silent communication indicating that DG was still alive, Andriss wouldn't let him go. Only after Wyatt explained that he needed to be somewhere safe while the others went in after DG did the little boy relinquish his hold. Once he was safely away with a pair of guards far back from the fort, Wyatt turned to his son.

"You were good with him." Jeb said with a slight smile on his lips.

"I do have a little experience with children." Wyatt reminded him, sounding testy to his own ears.

"Yeah. So, there were two men that chased him, but they didn't seem to want to come out into the forest. They talked for several minutes, and then went back to the fort. Paulson found a side door towards the right. I think we can get in that way."

"All right. You take some men to this side, have them create a diversion. Get whoever is in there out. I'll go in the entrance and find DG."

"You can't go in alone." Jeb protested immediately.

"I work alone, Jeb. That's the way it's been."

"But you don't know anything about what's going on in there. There could be an army waiting in there." Jeb countered, anger washing over his blue eyes and making them gleam.

"Look, I'm not arguing. This is what I do. This is why Glitch found me. I can get in there easier than a group, and I can find her. Now, this isn't a request. Go create a diversion or sit here and be mad at me. Either way, I'm going in. Alone."

The two Cain men sat in the forest, their men collectively holding their breath as they waited for either a battle of epic proportions to break out between father and son or for one of them to give. In the end, Jeb was the one to back down. But the anger the younger man felt was palpable.

"Johnson, Billows. You're with me."

Wyatt watched his son move away and forced away any guilt he might have felt for his words. There was no time for it. He turned away, melting into the trees and making his way towards the fort.

* * *

A/N-Holy updates Batman! She updated! LOL. Sorry this took so long. I just…I dunno. Life got all crazy then I fell in love with Zac Efron, sick I know, and my attention turned full force to an original I was working on. Sigh. Anyway, I can't promise swift updates, on this or Delicate, but I'm gonna try for once a week. Cause I want to finish both of these. BUT THEY WILL BE FINISHED! Also, unbeta'd. Sorry for the mistakes.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Pain spiked through DG's body, forcing her to consciousness. If this haze of agony that was clouding everything could be called consciousness, that was. It was more fuzzy images and echoed words rolling around her. Nothing coherent, nothing solid. She heard voices. Henry, someone else? She couldn't be sure. It took a horrid effort to pry an eye open. So much so she wondered why she was even bothering to try.

_"…not part of the plan." _That was Henry. At least she was pretty sure it was.

_"Not your plan anyway." _That was a voice she didn't recognize. Harsh, like razors had been dragged over his vocal chords. She tried harder to look, to see who was killing her. But she just couldn't.

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Just that this isn't your show anymore, prince."_ There was a sound. A loud _BANG_ that made DG moan as it reverberated in her head. She heard a thud, a shuffling then a snort of laughter. For some reason, it made her blood go cold.

_"Just me and you now, princess."_

If DG had thought her fear meter had been tapped out, she'd been wrong. With a great effort she forced her eyes open and she nearly shrieked. A man was hovering just in her sight, dark, scarred and terrifying. He was grinning at her, his teeth surprisingly white. She thought bad guys were supposed to have bad teeth.

Pain was making it hard to stay focused. She vaguely remembered what Henry said about a poison; how it was making her magic kill her. "Who are you?"

And that was the first question she asks? Her brain must have been really rattled.

"No one you need to worry about, miss. After all, not like you'll have to remember me later." He laughed then, a creepy sound that sent chills over her already icy skin.

"Go to hell."

Talking, even this little bit was an effort. She felt sick, felt the black smoothing over her like a blanket and she wanted to let it. Something told her she didn't want to be awake for whatever was coming. Quietly, with tears sliding down her cheeks, she kissed Andriss goodbye and hoped once more that he got away.

"Not today, Princess."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Another voice, this one horribly, wonderfully familiar filled the air. Shock had her eyes coming open once more, but her vision was so skewed she couldn't be sure what she saw. She moved, the pain spreading through her again as she unconsciously tried to clear her vision magically. For one, sweet second, her eyes cleared and the man she'd never thought she'd see again loomed huge before her. Then, the black took her under once more.

* * *

Cain slid into the castle with much more ease than he'd thought possible. He was starting to think that pregnant Azkadelia and a trio of munchkins could have tried to rescue DG and probably succeeded.

Something was starting to feel decidedly 'off' about this whole situation.

Jeb and his men had started randomly firing on the fort, drawing out the others inside. Six men had filtered out of the fort, making these kidnappers either very stupid, or very clever. Cain wasn't sure which he preferred.

Like a ghost he slid inside, gliding down the halls and keeping to the shadows. His eyes were alert for any movement, his ears tuned for any sound. He quickly realized that most if not all of the guards in the fort were outside. Again, all he could do was puzzle about the situation.

He moved further into the fort, away from the noise of the outside, letting whatever six sense he had guide him. He somehow knew that she wasn't in any of the outer rooms. This was an old place, set up to protect a tiny settlement within its walls. He didn't expect to find anything out in the open of the courtyard. No, she was inside, with at least one more guard. And if he were in charge, the one waiting with her would be the most dangerous.

Cain walked down what felt like miles of stone and dirt, the halls getting cooler the further in he went. He almost felt like he was moving into a cave. It smelled wet and dank, the stench of stale seawater and decay cloying. There were discarded artifacts on the floor, covered in sand and cobwebs, rats crawling over their surfaces and taking in their new guest with shiny, uninterested eyes.

Anger that DG and her son had been brought here, kept in this place like animals rose in him. He didn't consider her husband. To be truthful, he didn't give much of a shit about him. He'd save the Prince's hind end because he was there, and not for much else.

After what that bastard had stolen from Cain, he should feel lucky Cain didn't shoot him himself.

Despite all his training, he still jumped when he heard the gunshot a split second after his thought.

"DG." He said, the words a whisper as fear crawled up his throat and closed it. He rushed towards the sound, his own gun drawn and cocked, his trigger finger more than ready. The sound came from the end of the hall he was in, and he quickly made his way to the door. He kicked the door in without checking first, but DG could be in there, bleeding or dead.

He took in the scene with a quickness born of years of honing his senses. A body that he could only assume was Henry was sprawled on the floor, blood slowly seeping out around him. His face was shocked, like he hadn't expected to be shot. Cain didn't' think too many people did.

There was another man, leaning over DG. He put a heavy lid down on any emotion he felt at seeing her for the first time in so long. He took in her pale, pain-etched face, the way her eyes barely drifted open when he'd come in. She was in pain, but from where, he couldn't directly tell.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Cain smirked in response to the man's words, raising his gun.

"Who the hell are you?" The other man asked, looking unconcerned that he had a gun pointed at him.

"That doesn't matter. Get away from her and you just might walk out of here."

A slow, menacing grin spread over the other man's scarred face. He rose slowly to his full height, which was far taller than Cain had expected even with the quick assessment he'd done. Cain found himself looking up and he hated that. He raised the gun with the man's actions and merely quirked a brow in response.

"Oh, I'll be getting out of here alive, all right brother. Question is, will your or the chippy?"

"Case you haven't noticed, your boys aren't running in here to help you."

The other man snorted and held his hands out to show he wasn't armed. Not that Cain was buying that for a minute. Henry certainly didn't shoot himself in the chest.

"I don't need them." Then, he was gone.

It took Cain a full second to realize that he was now pointing his gun at an empty space.

He turned just in time to block the arm swinging at him, the point of a knife dragging itself uselessly through the leather of his coat. He kicked out, losing his balance when his foot found nothing but air.

"Damn, I could do this all day. I love fucking with you types. All big and macho, shoot first, fuck 'em later." A chuckle seemed to come from everywhere and Cain swiveled to try to find the source. "Unfortunately, I have a prior appointment. We'll call this one yours, Tinman."

Cain felt a blow to the back of his head. Enough to knock him forward, but not enough to seriously hurt him.

"Till we meet again." This time, the voice was in his ear, the man's breath hot on Cain's neck. He turned once more; swinging with a fist even though he was pretty sure his adversary wasn't there. With that knowledge, he managed to keep himself from losing his balance. His eyes darted around as he moved through the room, looking for any crevice the man could have hidden in. He'd checked twice before he would admit the man was gone.

"DG?" He finally turned his attention to the princess on the floor. He took in the torn dress, the dirt covering her skin and the bruise like shadows under her eyes. She was trembling, her head twitching every second or so. He kneeled next to her, his hands shaking as he reached a tentative hand out to her.

"DG? God, please." Gently, Cain stroked his fingers down her cheek, the smooth skin feeling like heaven under his touch. "Come on, sweetheart. I need to see those big blue eyes of yours." He gave her chin a little shake that caused her to moan.

She groaned something that sounded like 'Leave me alone."

"Hey there, princess. Just look at me, let me know you're all right."

"Wyatt?" Disbelief was heavy in her thick voice and he smiled.

"It's me." Came his soft reply.

"Andriss." Her eyes flew open, panic making them wide as she struggled to sit up. She cried out, the sound horrible to Cain's ears. She clutched her stomach and sank back to the floor, her forehead pressed to the cold stone.

"Andriss is fine, DG. I found him. He's safe. What did they do to you?"

"Poison." She managed, turning her gaze up to his once more. Cain felt his stomach drop out from her words, but he pressed on.

"Do you know what kind?"

"Some…kind…of fruit." She gasped. "Turns…turns my magic on me."

_Yahoq fruit._

"All right. DG, I'm going to pick you up. We have to get you back to the palace as quick as possible."

"I'm going to die." She whimpered when he slid his arms underneath her. She curled against his body as if five years and a lot of heartache didn't separate them. He relished the feel of her in his arms, so trusting even if it was the affects of the drug keeping her from tearing into him.

Something that he was sure she would do in no time at all.

"DAD?" Jeb's voice reached him almost as soon as he stepped back into the hall. Cain saw the concern when his son's eyes came to rest on the princess.

"She's alive. They poisoned her with the yahoq fruit. She's pretty bad."

"Henry?"

"Dead." A look passed between the men, indiscernible in its content. When the moment was gone, they started down the hall, each giving a quick run down of what had happened.

"He just disappeared?" Jeb's eyes started to scan the hall, as if the man could melt out of the stone. And to tell the truth, Cain wasn't entirely sure he couldn't.

"Yes. Pretty much told me we'd see him again."

"I don't get it." Jeb said, almost to himself. A few of their men made their way to them, and Jeb informed them they needed to retrieve Henry's body. Cain hurried forward, wanting to get DG to help. He could feel how cold she was, her skin clammy under his hands.

"I don't get any of this." Cain growled as he broke out into the light of day. The medic, whose questions took precedence, converged on them almost at once. He was loath to let her go, but he gently placed DG on a stretcher and let the medics take off with her. He watched her go, feeling a lot like he had all those years ago.

"We better get back and debrief the king. He'll want to know about Henry." Jeb watched as Henry's body was taken out of the fort, a sheet covering his handsome form. He shook his head and ran a hand through is blonde curls. He didn't particularly like Henry. He was pompous and cold towards everyone. But, it was still sad to see a life ended.

"There's still a lot we won't know until DG wakes up. Andriss won't be any good on the details and there aren't any other survivors."

The men that had come out of the fort fought like they were defending themselves from marauders. Even when it was obvious they were bested, none would surrender. They all fought, until none stood anymore.

"I know. At least they're safe, for now." Jeb replied, nodding a head in the direction the medics went.

"Yeah." Cain agreed, as Jeb moved to speak to a few of his men. He looked around, his cool blue eyes taking in every rock, every tree, as if another surge of troops would take them by surprise. But nothing came.

With a sigh, he turned and followed the others, his hand resting carefully on his sidearm.

* * *

a/n-I'm not too sure I'm over the moon about this one, but hey at least we have plot progression. :p Anyway, hope you like it. Review, review, review.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_"I don't understand why I have to meet this guy. I told you I'm not marrying him." DG rolled her eyes and sipped her juice. She felt more than a little annoyed that her mother was pressuring her to meet Henry. Again._

_"Because, my darling, it would be a favor to me." She could tell her mother's patience was worn thin. God, DG wished Az hadn't gotten married to Jeb so that the Queen wouldn't feel the need to marry her off too._

_"Come on, spitfire. It's just a lunch. Not so bad, is it?" Ahamo chimed in. _Great, their double-teaming me_, DG thought with a huff. All she wanted to do was escape this breakfast, pull her Tinman from the dark corner he was lurking in behind her and spend all day reminding herself just why she wouldn't be marrying Henry, crown prince whatever._

_"Fine." She huffed, throwing her napkin down and pushing her chair back. "If it will make you both leave me alone, I'll meet him." She sounded bratty. She knew she did. But if one couldn't' be bratty about who one would date, what could one be bratty about? Really?_

_'Thank you, my dear. I appreciate your sacrifice." The Queen's dry humor was not lost on DG and despite herself she cracked a smile._

_"I hope so." She threw back, cheekily. "Can I be excused?"_

_"Of course."_

_She didn't need to be told twice._

"_God, I wish they'd just lay off." DG sighed as the door to the dining hall closed quietly behind her and Cain._

"_You don't have to give them such a hard time." Cain countered, his voice soft and coming from somewhere behind her. Surprised, DG stopped and waited for him to catch up._

"_You do know they want to marry me off to him, right?"_

"_I got that picture." He told her as they fell into step together. He wouldn't look at her, something she found a bit unnerving. She had a feeling that if they hadn't been inside the palace, he'd be twisting his precious hat in his hands. Her heart tripped in her chest and she felt the start of a hole in her stomach._

"_Don't."_

"_What?" His blue eyes flicked up to hers then away just as quickly._

"_Don't try to be noble."_

"_I don't know what you're talking about." _

_And that's why you're shutting down on me, she thought. Without caring who saw, she pulled him to a stop and cupped his face with her hands. She saw the shot of panic in his eyes but also the way he instinctively turned into her touch._

"_Wyatt, I love you." There, she said it right out in the open. Cain's eyes widened then darted around, making sure nobody heard. She sighed, feeling an overwhelming sadness seep into her. "I love you, and I'm not going to let them marry me off to some stupid prince just for the sake of an heir. It's not even our country they need an heir for. Jeb and Az have that sown up. I'm not a cow, you know."_

"_No, you're not." He relented, but she still saw his hesitance. She knew, looking at him with a sudden clarity of just what was about to happen. And she didn't know how to stop it._

"_Wyatt. Let's go. Let's get out of here, just you and me. I'm tired of being royal and bending to everything they want me to be. I'm never going to be that person. Why can't I just be DG?"_

"_Because you're not just DG. You never have been." He relented then, a soft smile touching the mouth that was too often pulled into a severe line. He reached up and ran his knuckles over her cheek. "I wouldn't love you if you were." He all but whispered. She smiled, her joy suppressing the sadness she'd felt just a moment before. She wondered if maybe she'd read him wrong. Maybe he would put their feelings before honor or duty. He could be stupidly stubborn about that sort of thing sometimes._

"_Let's go riding. I might not be able to stop being royal, but at least I can get out of this palace for a while."_

_He looked unsure for a moment. What his objections might have been she didn't know, nor would she find out. Just as he started to nod, her father emerged from the dining room. They jumped away from each other, trying very hard not to look guilty as he regarded the pair._

"_Mr. Cain. May I have a word with you?"_

"_Of course." Wyatt answered, his eyes narrowing. When he looked back at DG, she saw a flash of worry in his eyes. Dread spread through her and she wanted to cling to him, to tell him not to go. But she didn't. Cain gave her another smile, and then gently squeezed her hand before turning away to follow her father down the hall. _

_That was the last time she saw him._

"DG?" A gentle hand brushed across her brow, the sound of the familiar voice a beacon in the dark.

"Az?" She croaked. And there was no other word for it. Her throat was so dry; it felt like sand had coated the inside of her esophagus.

"Oh thank God."

With a great effort, DG cracked an eye open. "Did anyone get the number of that bus?"

The chuckle that responded to that was filled with relief.

"The cure for Yahoq fruit is almost as bad as the poison." Az told her. It annoyed DG that even being seven months pregnant and obviously not sleeping, Az looked almost impeccable.

"How's Andriss?"

"He's fine. He's worried about you. Or he was. About an hour ago he settled down. Said you'd be awake soon. I decided to get down here and wait. Took you long enough."

Another clue that her son was maybe more than just the regular little boy he'd always seemed to be. The thought that she would share the bond of her magic with him made her ridiculously happy, even now in the aftermath of their horror.

"Uhm, Deeg,"

"He's still here, isn't he?" Feeling stronger, DG opened both eyes and rolled to her side to see her sister better. She didn't clarify the 'he' she was talking about.

"Yes."

DG just nodded in response. "How long was I out?" She said, immediately dismissing Cain for something to deal with later, when she was stronger. She had to sort through how she felt about him being there, saving her. Again. He'd broken her heart for the sake of the country and the alliance that was needed to keep peace in the region. She'd forgiven him for that. But she'd never considered the possibility of seeing him again, no matter how many times she'd wished it.

"Not as long as you might think. Jeb and his father are still in the war room meeting with the King."

"Really?" She was truly surprised by that. "How long were we gone?"

"Almost a week. DG," Az's dark eyes were narrowed with concern and the gentle hand she laid on DG's cheek was cool. "Henry is dead."

"I know." She answered, sighing deep as anger and sadness warred inside of her. He had been such a fool. His stunt to try to gain acceptance from his father did nothing more than get him killed. Unfortunately, she thought as she remembered the man that had killed her husband, she didn't think this was over. "He was behind it."

"Jeb told us. He gave Glitch as much information as he could before the King demanded audience. Henry's body was delivered back here as well. I don't know how he'll handle the funeral."

Knowing the king, Henry would be lucky to get a pine box and a hole.

"Has anyone told Balthazar?" The sister's eyes met at this and Az nodded her head.

"Not yet, that I know of."

"I will. He hates me anyway." If she even had a chance. Bad news, hell, any news traveled fast in the castle.

"You shouldn't worry about that now. You're still weak…"

"Az, I didn't say I was going to go find him. He does need to be told soon, though."

"Of course. Mother and daddy are on their way. I expect them here before dark. You might want to get some more rest before than."

DG groaned and lay back down, flinging an arm across her forehead. "Yippee." Az snorted indelicately in response. "I want to see Andriss."

"I'll go get him." Immediately, the older Gale woman stood and turned to leave.

"Az," she called quietly, daring to peer under her arm to look at her sister. She waited until Az turned back before continuing. "I don't think this is over."

"I don't either." And with that, Azkadelia slipped from the room.

* * *

"I am in your debt, Mr. Cain, for saving my grandson." The Kings voice boomed across the throne room to where the two Cain men were standing. Wyatt arched a brow at his omission of DG, but he chalked it up to the stress of his only son not only behind the kidnapping, but being dead as well.

That was until the next thing the king said.

"I am sure that Dorothy will be wanting to return to her family as soon as possible. Once she is able to travel, I will make the arrangements. Her mother will be most pleased."

"I assure you your highness, that you are in no debt to me for coming to find DG and her son." He stressed those last words, why he wasn't quite sure. Maybe it was because the King sure didn't sound like he was going to let Andriss go home with her. "As to her return to OZ, I'm not sure that's a decision that should be broached yet. After all, her husband was just killed." Cain said carefully. "How would it look?"

The King, a large imposing man with a mane of silvery hair and thick, silver brows. His eyes were dark and seemed to stare daggers down at the two men. His skin hung off his face like a man used to comfort and excess.

"No one, especially Dorothy, will be grief stricken over the death Henry, Mr. Cain. But I see your point. I've gone to great lengths to make sure that the house business, stays in the house." If there was ever a warning, that was it. "Whatever compensation you feel is fair, you will receive."

Silence fell between them as Cain studied the King. Jeb just waited, watching the pair.

"Your Highness, I have to say, payment isn't necessary. I'd die for DG." Cain started, straightening to his full height. The man before him didn't intimidate him, king or not. He wanted to make sure the King knew it.

"How noble." The king practically sneered.

"Yeah. I'm not noble. But she saved my life. Saved the whole damn OZ, including your kingdom. So, you can see why I don't need money."

"So what is it you do want, Mr. Cain?"

"I want to stay. Here, in the palace. This isn't over your highness. That man is still on the loose and I think he's not done with DG. Or Andriss."

"Andriss will never be in danger."

Cain's eyes narrowed at this and he felt Jeb tense next to him. By that reaction, he somehow didn't think that the king's words were based on confidence on his son.

"Sir, I wish I could share your confidence. This man has incredible abilities. I won't let any harm come to them." Steely blue eyes met just as hard brown ones. He didn't blink, he didn't move. He merely waited for the King to make his decision. Then, Wyatt would plan on how to disobey that decision and stick around anyway.

"I'm not sure that your presence would be a comfort to my daughter in law." Suddenly, the man seemed concerned about DG. Wyatt clenched his jaw and gave a curt nod.

"That's possible. However, maybe we should let her make the call. If she wants me gone, I'll go." And hide out as close by as possible. He'd spent the last five years learning how to disappear in plain sight. He could do it here, too.

"Very well." The king agreed after a few long seconds. The older man didn't look to thrilled but he seemed to realize he had little choice. He was a politician first. He had to realize how it would look to deny such a capable guard for DG and his grandson.

And he seemed to realize that Wyatt wouldn't go quietly. Or that Jeb would let him.

"Again, I thank you for your help in this matter. It is regrettable that Henry chose this path."

"Yes, your highness." Wyatt touched the brim of his hat and turned without waiting to be dismissed. He practically heard Jeb bristle, but he'd been underground too long to care much about insulting royalty. Especially after the way royalty had a tendency to treat him.

"Thank you, Jeb. You may go."

"Cain." Glitch called as soon as Wyatt was free of the throne room.

"Glitch."

"Az is down with DG. She's awake. How did it go in there?" His dark eyes flicked toward the room the men just left with a grimace.

"About as usual." Jeb answered with a scowl. "Sometimes I hate this fucking country."

"Yeah." Glitch answered with relish.

Cain eyed the pair cautiously. "Why did they want DG to marry Henry?" He knew what he'd been told. Henry needed to be married; the house of Gale needed an alliance with a strong country. DG had been sold as sure as that cow they'd talked about all those years ago. But Wyatt was starting to sense that there was something a little more behind it.

"They needed an heir. We needed an alliance with a country with a good military. And since there was already an heir for the OZ, thanks to Az and your son, DG was kind of the sacrifice." Glitch echoed his thoughts, save for the part about his granddaughter.

"Dory's the next in line to be Queen?" Cain looked to his son for confirmation. Jeb gave him a short nod. Wyatt took a deep breath and pushed this new bit of information out of the way for later.

"The King is very rigid, even for a King. He fully believes that it's his way or nothing, despite the parliament that holds the real power. There are enough representatives in the house that cower to him. He's a powerful man, who doesn't deal with weakness or disobedience. He and DG have gone rounds before, particularly about Andriss." Glitch continued.

"Really?" He glanced over at his son, who nodded.

"It's part of the reason we came to serve here. She needed someone on her side." Glitch answered once again.

"I became head of her security detail and kind of got stuck with Henry too. The King didn't seem to worry about him too much when they went out. I got sick of hearing about it, so I came here and DG hired me for her detail without consulting the King. He let it go, once it became known she was pregnant." Jeb's face had gone stony by then, and Glitch seemed to study a spot on Wyatt's coat. Apparently, this was about the time Jeb and Az's marriage went to hell. Perhaps DG and Jeb had helped each other. He squashed the stab of jealousy he felt and started to walk down the hall.

"I figured something was up. He's too eager for DG to go back to the Oz."

"I'm guessing without Andriss." Glitch fell into step next to him, unconsciously taking the lead towards the medical wing.

"He certainly wasn't mentioned. What's that about?"

"This is a patriarchal society, like the OZ is matriarchal. You'll notice Henry's mother isn't anywhere around, lamenting about the death of her little, baby boy."

"No. I just assumed she was deceased."

"Nope. She's living back in her home kingdom. Her duty done once she produced an heir. I think she's had two other children with her lover." Glitch explained.

"Ok." Wyatt didn't know what to think about that. A thought snuck in, that if he hadn't left, he might still have had DG. But then, the realization, that he wouldn't have had her as his wife dampened the idea that they could have had a family despite her marriage. And, he knew, there was no way DG would have left Andriss. He knew there was no way he would have let her.

"The King is probably going to do his best to push her out. She might have a reprieve since Henry was killed. He'll look heartless in forcing out the mother of the next heir, regardless of tradition." Jeb paused outside the doors to the med wing, his blue eyes searching his fathers. "And with that man on the lose, I'm not sure she'll be safe even in Central City."

"She's not going to leave, Andriss. He can try to force her out all he wants. Unless he wants an international incident, he'll have to relent." Cain said with more confidence than he felt. On top of her coming from a different kingdom where the women were the ones in charge, she was raised in a different land. She wouldn't go quietly, or meekly. The King was in for a big surprise.

"We know that. And it's going to be hard for her to deal with. She needs people around her that are going to support her." Wyatt had only ever really encountered Ambrose once before. And that was in a tower so many years ago. He realized he was looking at him again now. The dark eyes regarding him were steely, despite the casual expression on the face housing them. He could sense a bit of tension in his friend's body and he tilted his head back a bit in surprise.

"I know. There's nothing to worry about with me, Ambrose." Wyatt said, purposely using Glitch's real name. "I'm not going anywhere." Then, without another word to either of them, he pushed through the medical wings door.

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A/N-Sorry about mistakes. Review, review, review. :D


	9. please read

So, I think a bit of an explanation is in order why I have updated nothing in…I don't even know how long. I usually don't apologize for this, because I do have a life and all outside of my writing. However, I don't like to leave people hanging either. Firstly, it is my full intention to finish _A Delicate Situation_ and _Gentle Not the Heart_. In fact, the next chapter for _Gentle_ is started.

But, I'm not sure when it will be finished or posted. You see, over Christmas, my mother went into the hospital. She has had many problems over the last couple of years, starting with lung cancer and ending with cardiac failure caused by respiratory distress. She passed away Feb 17th. Needless to say, I have been very distracted by this and the events afterwards. I thank you all for your patience and I hope to have something for you all very soon.

On a brighter note, for those that may be interested in my original fiction, you can find my newest release at liquid silver books. The title is Two Doors Down , by Lisa Marie. This is an e-pub and also erotica. So no kiddies. I also have other titles there, if you're interested.

Thanks again.

Jypzrose/Lisa


	10. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer-**Do I really need to say it? Unbeta'd. Enjoy.

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Chapter Eight

Down below the castle, past the lower level labs and even deeper still than the dungeon, lies a series of rooms Dungeon masters don't speak of them. They know it's there. They know what was done. They never, _never _speak of it. Since the turn, the time the parliament took most of the power away from the King, those rooms aren't used. But some, the elders, still remember the screams. The scent of blood. The acrid smell of burning flesh.

They remember. And they don't speak of it.

Those rooms weren't used anymore. Soon, the ones that had been the masters of those rooms would all be dead and many prayed the memories would die too.

But those rooms, with their secrets bled in stone and written in fire, were so deeply hidden; a meeting held inside would go unnoticed. No guards roamed here, no ghosts feinted through the walls. Even the dead were afraid to enter here.

"You failed and you come here looking for payment?" The words were whispered, an edge of fear lacing them even though the resonance commanded power.

"Come now, gent. I did just as you said," this voice was accented heavily, a hint of a strange dialect not heard often in the OZ.

"She's still alive. That's not doing as I said." The other voice hissed in the dim room, the face behind them twisted with anger.

"Not like I didn't try. That Tinman coming in was bad luck. She'd a been dead soon enough. Got rid of that blighter for ya, din't I?"

"That's not the point. I won't pay for failure."

"Listen here, you," The second voice slid low, the very timber holding venom and menace that would make lesser men squirm. "My race 'as been in the OZ long before yours stopped eating your own shit and picking lice of each other. I di' what you as'd. I'll get that gi'l for ya. But I ain't doin' it for free. Now pay me the rest o' my money. Or I'll be fixin' you."

"Don't you threaten me."?

The second man snorted, flashing a menacing snarl of white teeth.

"Don't fuck with me."

The first man scowled with distaste. But there was no denying the slight tremor of fear for the other man.

"Fine." He said, trying to sound as if it were his idea. A bag materialized in his hand and he gave it to his companion. "Just make sure to get it done this time."

"Course." The second man gave another flash of teeth. A hint of a buzzing sound echoed off the dank walls of the dungeon, before he disappeared, leaving the other man alone with the smell of death around him.

********

"Mother, I'm fine." DG said before her mother had a chance to even open her mouth. DG was sitting up in her bed, already dressed in flowing gown Az had brought her from her room. Almost as soon as she was dressed, her parents, Glitch, Jeb and Cain…her heart tripped when she saw him…came into the room. He tried to slide inconspicuously into the corner of the room, to become invisible. And her parents seemed happy enough to treat him that way. But DG couldn't help but be distracted by his presence. She had so many questions to ask him, so much to say that she hadn't had the chance to before. She didn't think she could deal with him, even though her heartbreak was nothing more than a distant ache. Unfortunately, feeling him there, knowing he was watching over her, made her feel safer than she thought it should.

After all, he'd walked out on her before.

"My angel. We've been so worried." Lavender wrapped her daughter in her arms, cradling her like a child. DG tried not to roll her eyes, but welcomed the hug.

"I'm fine." DG repeated again, pulling away and giving her mother a shaky smile.

"Spitfire." Was all Ahamo said when he moved in to get his own hug. DG's eyes drifted closed and she tried not to let the tears fall.

"I can't believe what Henry did." Lavender said as Ahamo settled onto the bed next to DG. Az had brought Andriss in before they arrived, but his nanny came and got him to give him a bath and go to bed. DG usually did that herself, but tonight she didn't argue. She didn't want him to hear them speak about his father, or what the man that was supposed to love him had done.

"I can. He was always trying to gain his father's approval."

"You're being too charitable, Deeg." Glitch said, wearing his anger at Henry like one of his medals.

"No." DG denied with a shake of her head. "I just know the way he thought. I don't think he fully understood what would happen, or whom he was dealing with. _I_ don't know who he was dealing with. But even half dead from the poison, I was scared of that man."

DG gave a shudder and shook her head again. Henry was so stupid, so needy. He'd probably rushed headlong into this venture and not considered any of the consequences. He'd looked truly surprised when he'd found out she and Andriss hadn't been given food or water. He had been so naïve.

"It's over now." She murmured. "Now I just have to figure out how to get out of here with my son."

"We'll find a way." Lavender assured her, lacing a strand of DG's hair through her fingers and giving it a gentle tug. DG gave her mother a shaky smile and nodded. Then, she watched Lavender look behind her, saw the way her mother's eyes turned the color of heavy thunderclouds and nearly groaned.

_Don't do this now_, she thought in annoyance.

"Mr. Cain. Thank you for finding our daughter and grandson. I know you must be anxious to return to your life."

If the Queen had had any idea how much she'd sounded like the King of the current country she was in, she might have rethought her position. Not likely, but perhaps.

DG didn't turn her head to see the look on Wyatt's face. She could practically see one pale brow arch up. She felt Ahamo tense beside her and she just wanted to scream. For all the love she knew her parents had for her, she didn't understand how they chose to assuage their own guilt over forcing her into this marriage by blaming Cain.

"Mother. I want Cain to stay." DG said, looking directly into her mother's shocked eyes and hearing Az's sharp intake of breath.

"What? Why?" It was strange to see the woman that was usually so poised and in control sputter indignantly.

"Jeb is going to need his help. That man is still out there." That was all the explanation DG offered. She could tell it wasn't enough by the look on Lavender's face and by the way Ahamo sat ramrod straight next to her. _And there is no one I trust more with my son's life, _she added silently to herself. She'd thought about this in that little space of quiet time she'd had when Az went to get Andriss. "It's not up for discussion."

Lavender's mouth snapped shut and she sent a cold glare over DG's shoulder.

"Glitch. I need you to find Balthasar. Hopefully you can get to him before the news spreads. I'll need to talk to him." For the moment, she ignored her parents and their concerns and turned to her friend.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I can take care of it."

"No. I'll do it. Andriss has been moved back to the second bedroom in my suite. And as far as I'm concerned, he's staying there. We both hated him being in that damn nursery anyway. Jeb, if the king tries to insist that he be moved…"

"I'll make sure he understands the futility of that."

"Thank you. Glitch," she called to the advisor before he could leave the room. "Have one of the maids clean up the room across the hall from mine. The one that used to belong to Myrna. I think it will suit Wyatt well enough. As long as you don't mind pink walls." She said without looking behind her.

"I'll live." Cain uttered the first words since he'd walked in, his voice rusty and deep. She suppressed the shiver it caused. "Mother, father. Glitch will have someone show you to your room. I know you want to see Andriss, but I really think he needs his rest tonight."

Realizing they'd been dismissed, Lavender and Ahamo had little choice but to kiss their daughter's goodnight and follow their son in law out. Ahamo couldn't resist sending a cold glare Cain's way. Cain just looked at the Consort impassively.

"Jeb, thank you for helping us today." Jeb merely nodded. But the look that passed between them said much more. Somewhere, between his marriage to her sister crumbling and his father leaving her to marry Henry, they'd become close friends. And he knew, without her having to say so, that she wanted to speak to Wyatt.

"If you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave. I have some reports to finish about today and a presentation to parliament in the morning. Az, please kiss Dory goodnight for me."

"I will."

Then, Jeb left with a swish of the doors.

"Wyatt, would you please escort my sister and I to our rooms?" Az asked, resting a hand on her belly and glancing back at the stoic tin man.

"That's what I'm here for."

"Escort service? Well, how lucky for us." Az teased, drawing a snort out of DG and a quirk of the lips from Cain.

DG slid off the bed and let Az draw an arm through hers. "You know, if I go down, you're not going to be much good at keeping me upright." She reminded her very pregnant sister.

"No, but I'm relying on Wyatt's excellent reflexes to cushion your fall." DG arched a brow at her sister's levity.

"Pregnancy has made you strange, sister."

Az shrugged a delicate shoulder. Then the two princesses walked out of the room, followed by the ghost that was Wyatt Cain.

And right into the very thing DG had wanted to avoid.

"DG!" Balthasar strode up the hall, his shiny black shoes echoing loudly in the hall. Jeb had still been outside and he walked right up to the other man and placed a hand on his shoulder. Wyatt slid in front of the sisters, his hand resting lightly on his gun.

"Bal, I'm so sorry."

"Don't you say that to me." The man spat. Usually, he was so put together, His dark hair was usually slicked away from his smooth, olive forehead. His dark eyes were usually a sea of calm and good humor. He was fit and attractive and very well put together. Now his hair was mussed and his eyes were grief stricken. He had mud stains on his knees like he'd fallen in the dirt and his shoes were dull and scuffed.

"I don't know what else to say." DG told him quietly. She felt for the man, wanted to cry herself when she saw the glassy sheen to his eyes. "I wanted to tell you myself."

"Do you think that would have made it better? Do you think there is anything you could say to make me not hate you right now?" His voice was thick and hoarse, tears slipping down his cheeks unheeded.

"No." She said simply. Jeb was holding him back. Balthasar was trying to get around him, to get into her face. She didn't actually think Bal would hurt her, but grief did funny things to people.

"There's more to it, Bal. Lets go talk." Glitch stepped up and placed a firm hand on Balthasar's shoulder. The slimmer man shrugged it off with a violent jerk of his shoulder.

"No!" DG took a step back as Balthasar, his eyes wild, pushed past Jeb and advanced on her.

Before she could cry "Bal, stop!" Wyatt Cain loomed between the princesses and the distraught man, knocking him to the floor with one, solid punch. Az shrieked despite herself as Jeb and Glitch hauled the crumpled man off the floor.

"You so much as breathe in her direction again, friend, you answer to me." Wyatt said, his voice so cold DG shivered.

Bal's eyes flashed with fear for a brief second. Then in an impressive display of emotion, the man positively fell apart.

"Come on, Bal." Glitch pulled him away from Jeb and led him down the hall.

"Jeb, take him to Henry's rooms. Give him whatever he needs." Jeb gave her a curt nod, then turned to follow her advisor and would be assailant down the hall.

"Shouldn't he be heading out the front door? Preferably to a cell for assaultin' a Princess?" Cain asked, looking at her with confused eyes.

"It's…complicated." Was all she offered. "Are you ok?"

Az nodded, pressing a hand to her thudding heart. "Yes. I think I'd like to go to my apartment now. I think I've had more than enough excitement for the day."

"I agree." DG took her very pregnant sister's hand and pulled her along. Cain had no other choice but to follow, wondering just what the hell he'd left DG behind to deal with.

********

_The double suns were just cresting the horizon, the warm glow chasing away the final chill of the night with ease. DG sat on the terrace of the Central City palace, still wearing her sleep pajamas, watching but not seeing. She hadn't slept at all. Her mind had been going crazy all night, reminding her that in the morning-this morning, Wyatt Cain would be gone._

_A shudder ran over her, her chest hitching as she tried to deal with the inevitability._

_She should have seen it coming, really. How long did she expect him to stay around and baby-sit her? It couldn't have been that much for him. He had a life, or a new life he needed to build. A child he needed to get to know. _

He could do that here, _her mind reminded her. _Jeb's involved with Az. He ever leaves the damn castle.

_DG sighed and curled up tighter in the chair. She knew she should get back to her room before anyone saw her. Her mother would have a cow if she saw DG out here in just her pj's. But she just couldn't' make herself care. If she caused a scandal because of that, so what. After the witch's reign of terror, was a princess sitting on the terrace of her own home, brooding over a stubborn Tin Man really that big of a deal?_

_"DG?"_

_Great. She should have figured it wouldn't be her mother to find her. _

_"Yes, Mr. Cain?" She didn't turn to look at him, but he'd moved close enough that she felt him tense when she'd called him Mr._

_"I couldn't find you. You slipped your guard again."_

_DG bristled with annoyance. Of course the only thing he'd be worried about was that._

_"So what? I spent quite a large chunk of my life getting around with out bodyguards. I think I did all right."_

_"I'm sure you did." He acquiesced, seeming to sense her mood was dangerous. "But you're not in Kansas anymore."_

_"No shit."_

_She turned then, to see the flash of anger in those ice blue eyes of his, to see the way the mouth she'd been dreaming about thinned into an annoyed line._

_Good, now he had a vague idea of how she felt._

_"What's the matter with you?" He asked, stepping forward. She noticed he wasn't wearing his duster and the hat wasn't there either. Strangely, it made him seem vulnerable to her. Like a knight entering battle without his amour and shield. Stranger still that's what those two items seemed like to her._

_"I'm pissed." DG said, as if it were obvious. And really, it was. Sometimes she thought he played thick headed. Other times she just knew that he was._

_"Are you going to tell me why?"_

_"You know." He did. She could tell by the look on his face that this was one of those times he was playing thick headed. Others might see that tight-lipped stony mask and see stoicism. DG just saw that as avoidance._

_"Aren't you acting a little childish. You couldn't think I was goin' to stay around here forever, keeping your skirts from touching the ground."_

_Oh, that was uncalled for._

_"Why not, you make a pretty cute lady in waiting." She shot back, taking a step towards him. Her finger shot out and poked him squarely in the chest where the top button was undone. His skin was warm and solid and she poked him once again for good measure._

_"Stop it, DG." He growled, reaching up to snatch her hand in a light, but still vice like grip._

_"Or what?" She moved towards him again, her head thrown back in challenge as she crowded him. As impatient as he was cautious, DG had actually decided to let him call the shots on this. She'd figured that he'd have hesitations about whatever it was between them(he's too old, she's too young, to princessy…blah, blah), so she'd let him have the lead._

_What a huge mistake that had been. Now, he was just going to walk away rather than address it. It was time to take matters into her own hands and find out once and for all if there was anything there._

_She'd thought when she'd first realized that the feelings she had for Wyatt Cain were far from friendly, that maybe she'd developed some kind of school girl crush on him._

_It was time for both of them to remember that she was no schoolgirl._

_"DG, I don't know what the hell has go..mmph"_

_Wyatt Cain was effectively caught off guard by the press of DG's soft, demanding mouth on his._

_He went completely stiff, not responding at all. DG slid back, feeling foolish and hurt and extremely naïve. An apology started to stammer its way out of her mouth when she found herself suddenly hauled against a very hard chest. She had a split second to smirk before it was his turn to crash his lips to hers._

_They'd spent the rest of the day in her room. And all talk of his leaving had ceased._

"Goodnight, Az. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, DG." Az enfolded her sister into her arms, squeezing a little harder than was necessary. DG smiled and patted her back in understanding. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"Me too." DG whispered, blinking away tears that were suddenly stinging her eyes.

"Go easy on him." Az said when she pulled back, her eyes dancing over Cain, who was standing a few feet down the hall, to give them a moment's privacy. "He's been punishing himself for five years."

"Longer than that." DG replied sadly. "Night."

"Night, honey."

When Az went into her room, DG turned and faced him, her eyes meeting his fully. They stared at each other for a long time, a thousand questions flying between them only to be left unsaid by either.

DG wondered, as his face only seemed to go stonier, like he was bracing himself against her, if they'd been doomed from the start.

Wyatt had always been afraid of what they had.

"Come on, Tin Man. We have a lot to talk about."

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A/n-Well, here it is. I hope it lives up to the wait. Next chapter, the mysteries of Henry will be revealed and maybe there will be a little closure for DG and Wyatt. Don't panic. They have to put their past to rest, before a future can be built. Please review. I will beg if necessary. ;) Lisa


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